How to make the .net HttpClient use http 2.0?

Question

I have an asp.net web api hosted on IIS 10 (windows server 2016). When I make a GET request to this from a Microsoft Edge browser, I see that HTTP 2.0

Answer 1

In addition to WinHttpHandler (as described in Shawinder Sekhon's answer), .NET Core 3.0 includes HTTP/2 support in the default SocketsHttpHandler (#30740). Since the default is still HTTP/1.1 outside of UWP, Version must be specified on each request. This can be done on an as-needed basis for each request:

using (var client = new HttpClient())
{
    client.BaseAddress = new Uri("https://myapp.cloudapp.net/");

    HttpResponseMessage response = await client.SendAsync(
        new HttpRequestMessage(HttpMethod.Get, "RestController/Native")
        {
            Version = HttpVersion.Version20,
        });
    if (response.IsSuccessStatusCode)
    {
        await response.Content.CopyToAsync(new MemoryStream(buffer));
    }
}

Or for all requests by using a custom HttpMessageHandler, such as:

public class ForceHttp2Handler : DelegatingHandler
{
    public ForceHttp2Handler(HttpMessageHandler innerHandler)
        : base(innerHandler)
    {
    }

    protected override Task SendAsync(
        HttpRequestMessage request, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
    {
        request.Version = HttpVersion.Version20;
        return base.SendAsync(request, cancellationToken);
    }
}

which can delegate to SocketsHttpHandler, WinHttpHandler, or any other HttpMessageHandler which supports HTTP/2:

using (var client = new HttpClient(new ForceHttp2Handler(new SocketsHttpHandler())))
{
    client.BaseAddress = new Uri("https://myapp.cloudapp.net/");

    HttpResponseMessage response = await client.GetAsync("RestController/Native");
    if (response.IsSuccessStatusCode)
    {
        await response.Content.CopyToAsync(new MemoryStream(buffer));
    }
}
``